


The Darknesses in Life

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Episode: s01e19 The Professionals, F/M, Serial Killers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23816020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: JT wasn’t sure he should tell his wife about his day but Tally isn’t about to let him bottle it all up.
Relationships: JT Tarmel/Tally Tarmel
Comments: 12
Kudos: 34
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	The Darknesses in Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cozy_coffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cozy_coffee/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver owns it
> 
> **Notes:** written for cozy_coffee for the prompt of Any, any, "well, that shit got dark fast." (Richie, It: Chapter 2). Set in the episode _The Professionals_ and written using the Get Your Words Out Yahtzee prompt of acrid

XXX

Dani caught JT’s eye, nodding toward the doorway that opened into the precinct’s bullpen area. He widened his eyes surprised to see his wife standing there with a bag of what he assumed was food given the hour. He stood up and waved to her. Tally brightened seeing him. He met her halfway to his desk. Her hug ushered him into a momentary heaven in what had been a hellish day.

“What are you doing here, babe, not that I’m sorry to see you?” He slipped an arm around her, walking her toward the break room. He was thankful it was empty. JT pulled out a chair for her.

“You texted me you weren’t going to make it home and when I called, you sounded…off.” She brushed her hand along his cheek. “What’s happening, JT?”

He gestured for her to sit, noticing she had avoided his question. He wanted to avoid hers. JT didn’t want the ugly of his job to touch her, especially not now. He didn’t know how easily stress could trigger a miscarriage. He assumed it couldn’t be super easy but he’d let nothing risk Tally, her health and their unborn child. “It’s not great. You didn’t need to come here, Tally.”

She shrugged one shouldered and dug in the bag. “You need to eat and I was already in the area so I thought why not bring you something better than you’re likely to run out and get, if you even eat.”

JT snorted. He wasn’t Bright. He didn’t skip meals like kids skipped rope. 

“Is he okay, JT?” Tally turned huge, sad eyes on him. She’d only met Bright once but she had, somehow, liked him instantly. She had managed in just a few hours what it had taken JT months to do: forge a connection. 

He shook his head, an acrid taste in the back of his mouth. Suddenly, skipping dinner sounded like a good idea. He sat at the table. “I told you Eve had passed.”

She scowled. “Suicide is so hard.”

“Bright was right, it wasn’t that. I didn’t get a chance to tell you that last night. I was exhausted. She was killed. We caught the guy who did it.” JT unwrapped the taco she pushed toward him. Chunks of chorizo spilled out, leaving greasy smears on the paper. His appetite tried to revive itself.

Tally peered out the door, scanning the bullpen, such as she could see it from this angle.

“He left about ten minutes ago,” he said, figuring she was looking for Bright. He knew his wife. She’d try to hug him until she wrung out some of the sadness. “I have no idea where he went.”

“He might just want to be alone.” She pushed him another taco and unwrapped a black bean and cheese burrito for herself. “Everyone processes grief differently but I don’t have to tell you that. It looks like it’s affecting you too.”

JT shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s something else but I don’t want to tell you. And it’s certainly not dinner conversation.”

Tally wrinkled her nose and put her hand on his. She gave it a squeeze, reminding him she wasn’t a delicate doily. She was every bit as tough as he was and he knew it. “I’m a homicide detective’s wife. I know things can be rough but I need you to talk to me. Nothing good comes of bottling things up. You _know_ that.” She leveled a stern look at him and the depths of her dark eyes he read the warning, the memories of the times when JT did cement it all inside of himself.

He didn’t like to ever talk about his time in the Middle East. He wanted to never so much as think about it. That really was his first connection to Bright. He knew what PTSD was like and Tally had suffered through his, loved him enough to stay with him when it got dark. “Okay, but remember you asked.” JT sighed. “I met the Surgeon today.”

Tally’s eyes widened and she bit off the end of her burrito, chewing thoughtfully before saying, “That had to be interesting. The case took you there? What was he like? Dani told me that he was creepily charming the time she met him.”

JT unwrapped the second taco, salted beef this time. He decided that might be better on his acrid stomach than the chorizo. He’d start with that. The first time he’d taken Dani to meet his wife, JT had been hesitant. He wanted Tally kept away from the job as much as he could, just so the things he had to see wouldn’t scar her but Tally had wanted to meet Dani, maybe just curious, maybe a little jealous of a female coworker. They had hit it off and they went out for drinks once or twice a month, often at the pool bar Bright had date crashed. “Dani, Bright and I got there after he figured out the new guard dealing with his father was actually Eve’s murderer who was sent to deal with Whitly too, and no, I can’t talk about why. The case is still open.”

“I understand.”

“I really don’t want to tell you this stuff, Tally,” he hedged.

“I know but you’re going to. Eat, sweetie.” She nodded to his untouched meal.

JT took a bite of the salted beef. It was as good as always. Tally had hit up his favorite food truck, just another reason to love her. “Anyhow, the guy had a garrote wrapped around Whitly’s throat, had him nearly choked out, and of course we couldn’t get to him because the door’s locked.”

“Oh god. Did Bright lose his father too?” She took his hand again, worry etched into her face. 

“No. Bright was yelling for his dad and apparently Whitly was faking the killer out to get him to let up. Tally, Whitly did the padded cell equivalent of curb stomping that assassin. It was brutal. Whitly _destroyed_ him and as a little pay back for hurting his kid, he dug out the dude’s eyes with his thumbs.” JT flinched at the loudness of his own voice. It had all spilled out in a rush because Tally was right. He needed to get it out of him. That was going to haunt him for life.

Tally dropped her burrito, her mouth flopping open. “Well, that shit got dark fast! Oh my god!”

“I’m the one who grabbed Whitly off the assassin because I’m sure he was trying to dig all the way into the guy’s brain if he could.” JT shuddered and Tally grabbed his hand, pressing it to her cheek, a gesture that he barely registered, lost in his memory. “I’m standing there holding onto a serial killer who just took apart a trained assassin with his bare hands, and I’m thinking what in the hell am I doing?”

“He dug out the guy’s eyes?” Settling back, Tally picked up her dinner again and continued to eat. “He had to look so vicious.”

_Yes, she was definitely a cop’s wife,_ he thought. “No, he was smiling, enjoying every last second of it,” JT admitted, trying for another bite of his own meal. _Yep, this is why Bright’s so thin. Who can see this stuff and still eat?_

Tally shook her head, her hair swinging in a way that made him forget dinner and the darkness. “Poor Malcolm, having to see that.”

“Agreed. Poor me and Dani too,” he moaned, remembering the smell of blood and other fluids coursing down the man’s cheeks.

Tally half-stood, leaning on the table so she could kiss him before sitting back down.

He smiled at her. “Dani said my name and it was like flipping a switch. Whitly sat back and went from intense to smiling and bubbly as he introduced himself like we were at a church social. That had to be the creepiest part.”

Tally shook herself as if iced over. “Like Dani said, he was charming but dear God what must be lurking just below the surface.”

“Had the other guard been slower unlocking that door, he’d have added to his murder count. He’s probably disappointed Dani and I stopped him.” JT made a face. “I don’t like him knowing my name.”

“He’s locked away.”

JT nodded and let her think that. He didn’t trust that Whitly couldn’t reach out somehow. No need to make Tally worried. He’d do enough of that for both of them. 

“Hopefully the worst of it is over now.”

JT let his breath out in a slow, long exhale. “The assassin is locked down in the hospital. Whitly is dealt with so hopefully you’re right and once we get all the paperwork done, I’ll make it home. Probably at a late hour so don’t wait up for me.”

Tally grinned. “I’ll be waiting.”

She probably would be. He couldn’t complain. Going home to Tally was always the best part of his day. Hopefully he’d be there soon enough. Until then he’d enjoy this impromptu dinner together but he needed to shift the conversation. He’d enough of the terrifying for one day. Tally let him move her on to her day. It made for better dinner conversation than what had happened to him. But the sounds of the assassin’s screams, the wet tearing of flesh haunted him. He’d be seeing eyes in his sleep and suddenly JT didn’t want to go to bed. If this is how Bright felt daily, he’d have to be even nicer to the guy. Because if eyes were going to haunt his sleep, what would they do to Bright? JT didn’t want to know.


End file.
